Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
First report of dog eye worm infection in Portugal
By Vieira Lisete et al.·Published in Parasites & Vectors·2012·View original on DOAJ →
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Original publication title: First report of canine ocular thelaziosis by <it>Thelazia callipaeda</it> in Portugal
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Nine dogs in Portugal were found to have an eye infection caused by a type of eyeworm called Thelazia callipaeda. These dogs showed symptoms like eye discharge and conjunctivitis (inflammation of the eye), with some also experiencing itching around the eyes. The number of worms varied from three to 76 in each dog, but this did not seem to affect how severe their symptoms were. This case highlights the need for veterinarians to consider this type of eyeworm when diagnosing eye problems in dogs, especially since it could spread from neighboring countries.
People also search for: dog eye discharge treatment · dog conjunctivitis causes · Thelazia callipaeda in dogs
Abstract
<p>Background</p> <p><it>Thelazia callipaeda</it> eyeworms are transmitted by the non-biting insect vector <it>Phortica variegata</it> in Europe and infest the conjunctiva(s) of several mammalians, including dogs and humans. Infested hosts might remain asymptomatic or display clinical manifestations characterized by variable degrees of severity.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>From July to November 2011, nine dogs were detected with eyeworms at two veterinary clinics in Chaves and Bragança (North of Portugal). Nematodes collected from dogs were morphologically and molecularly characterized at species level.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Nematodes were identified as <it>T. callipaeda</it>. The number of worms collected from each dog ranged from three to 76 (average = 17.9 ± 26.8) and was not associated with the severity of clinical signs. Ocular discharge and conjunctivitis were observed in all dogs and ocular pruritus occurred in six of them. Polymerase chain reaction and sequencing of a portion of target cytochrome <it>c</it> oxidase subunit 1 gene further identified all nematodes as haplotype 1.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This is the first report of <it>T. callipaeda</it> and associated ocular disease in dogs from Portugal, suggesting that thelaziosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of canine ocular affections. The risk of the infestation spreading from Spain and France to Portugal, through domestic dogs or wild mammals, is realistic.</p>
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Search related cases →Original publication on DOAJ: https://doi.org/10.1186/1756-3305-5-124